


XF Friday Nights 4: Impertinent Questions

by ML_is_me



Series: XF Friday Nights [4]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Gen, XF Friday Nights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-31 01:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10888758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ML_is_me/pseuds/ML_is_me
Summary: ...you ask an impertinent question andyou're on your way to a pertinent answer.  Or not.This is the fourth story in anexploration of the early seasons.  They are looselytied together but can be read as standalones aswell.





	XF Friday Nights 4: Impertinent Questions

Cryptography Division, FBI

 

"Whatcha workin' on there, Danny?"

 

A heavy hand fell on his shoulder and he caught a  
whiff of stale cigarettes emanating from the suit  
jacket of his questioner. 

 

_It's Agent Bernstein to you_, Danny muttered under  
his breath. Aloud, he said, "Holtzman. What can  
we do for you that your own Cryptography Division  
can't?"

 

_Besides, you know, actually deciphering  
something_, he thought.

 

One of these days he was going to say something  
like that out loud and get his ass fired.

 

"I hear you got some interesting data from one of  
your field agents," Holtzman said jovially. "I  
need to know where it came from."

 

Danny remained silent. If this was a fishing  
expedition, he'd have to do better than that.

 

"Don't make me go to Blevins. Or Skinner,"  
Holtzman said in the same pleasantly threatening  
tone.

 

"I need a little more information," Danny finally  
replied. "We get a lot of data through here every  
day. Out of the thousands and thousands of  
possibilities, which one caught your attention?"

 

"We got a tip from the Sioux City office," Holtzman  
replied. "Who's investigating a missing person  
case there?"

 

He'd already known it had to be Mulder, and  
Holtzman probably had already known too. Nothing  
seemed to set alarms off faster than if word got  
around Mulder was investigating something. He  
might as well have a hotline to the NSA.

 

Those Redskins tickets better be good.

 

x-x-x-x

 

Sioux City, Iowa

 

"This is the place," Saunders said. "The Stay 'n  
Save."

 

"Those FBI guys really know how to live large,"  
Holtzman said. 

 

Saunders parked the car by the office and went in  
to talk to the night clerk. Holtzman watched as  
Saunders showed his ID and got the room numbers  
from the clerk.

 

"You owe me ten bucks," Saunders said as he came  
back to the car. "They're in separate rooms."

 

"Of course they'd rent separate rooms," Holtzman  
said. "Mulder may be crazy, but he's not stupid."

 

"So which room?" Saunders asked. "Double or  
nothing."

 

"You're on. I'll take one-ten," Holtzman decided.

 

Not bothering to use much caution, Saunders and  
three other agents tried the door of Room 108 while  
Holtzman and Jacobs banged on the door of Room 110.  
Without giving either occupant time to answer, they  
applied shoulders to their respective doors and  
pushed. The flimsy doors gave way with very little  
resistance.

 

Agent Scully stood frozen in the flashlight's beam.  
A quick sweep of the room by one of the other  
agents revealed that her gun was on the dresser,  
several steps out of reach. No one else was in the  
room that Saunders could see. The door to the  
bathroom stood open and the window was high, tiny,  
and closed. If Mulder wasn't hiding under the bed,  
he'd won the bet. 

 

"Who are you?" Scully yelled, possibly to alert  
Mulder to the intruders. 

 

"NSA, Agent Scully," Saunders said, flashing his  
badge. "Where's Agent Mulder?"

 

Scully looked carefully at the ID. Her demeanor  
changed from frightened woman to furious. "I  
assume he's in his room," she said icily, standing  
very straight next to her bed. Saunders watched  
her eyes flash over to the dresser where her gun  
and badge lay. "May I ask why you had to break  
into my room at this hour?"

 

"National security, Agent Scully," Saunders said,  
raking his flashlight over her. Who knew for sure  
if the rumors were true, but if Mulder wasn't  
banging his partner he must be blind or gay.

 

"I'm sure there must be some mistake," Agent Scully  
said. "The case we're on has nothing to do with  
national security."

 

"We'll be the judge of that," one of the other NSA  
agents said. "What do you know about the data  
Agent Mulder sent to Cryptography?"

 

"Excuse me," Agent Scully said. "I'm going to go  
get dressed." She snatched her suitcase and darted  
into the bathroom, slamming the door after her.

 

The other agents looked at Saunders for guidance.  
One took a couple of steps toward the bathroom  
door, and Saunders shook his head slightly. Agent  
Scully was not as easily intimidated as they  
thought she'd be.

 

"We could break down the door," another agent  
suggested. "Her gun's out here."

 

"What if she has one in her case?" Saunders asked.  
"Anyway, she's not going anywhere."

 

It was now obvious to Saunders that bullying and  
threatening were not likely to gain them any ground  
with Agent Scully; time to try another tack.

 

Moments later, Agent Scully emerged from the  
bathroom, fully dressed. She walked right up to  
Saunders and looked him in the eye.

 

"Now," she said in a clipped tone. "What is it  
you're looking for? And why did you break in here  
to ask me where Agent Mulder is?"

 

One of the agents behind him snickered and Scully  
turned a laser-beam glare in his direction.

 

The room went silent. One of the agents cleared  
his throat and shifted position.

 

"You guys get the hell out of here," Saunders said,  
jerking his head toward the door.

 

Scully stood silently as the agents shuffled out of  
the room, closing the door almost all the way.

 

Saunders tried again. He would not, could not,  
apologize, or Holtzman would have his ass. But he  
could change his tone a little.

 

"Agent Scully, we need your help determining the  
source of the data Agent Mulder sent to  
Cryptography. It _is_ a matter of national  
security, and that's all I can say."

 

Agent Scully stood, obviously waiting for something  
more.

 

"We're just looking for a little inter-agency  
cooperation here," he said, knowing that ship had  
already sailed, but giving it a try anyway.

 

Scully still didn't speak but one eyebrow was  
raised dangerously high.

 

After a long moment, she said, "Very well. Here's  
the address." She wrote it on a piece of motel  
stationery and handed it to him. "Now, I'm going  
to see Agent Mulder. In his room. Do you have any  
objection?"

 

Saunders handed the address to one of the other  
agents, who had already dialed Holtzman's number.

 

"Go right ahead," Saunders said, now on firmer  
ground. "I'm sure he's in his room, just as you  
said."

 

Scully gave him one last long look before picking  
up her gun, badge, and phone, and marching out of  
the room.

 

He watched her go, shoulders squared, ready for  
whatever battle awaited her down the hall. She  
passed Holtzman and ignored him completely.  
Holtzman stopped and watched her march past before  
turning back to Saunders.

 

"You have any trouble?" Holtzman asked him.

 

"Nah," Saunders said. "You?"

 

"Mulder gave me some lip," Holtzman said, "but we  
took care of that."

 

Saunders grunted. He knew Mulder's passive-  
aggressive tactics. He wondered if he got away  
with it with his partner.

 

"So," Holtzman added once they were in the car.  
"You think they're doing it?"

 

"If you're so interested, why don't you ask them?"  
Saunders countered.

 

"Hey, you're the guy who said double or nothing,"  
said Holtzman. "Are they?"

 

"I don't think so. And I'm tired of this game.  
Don't we have an investigation to conduct?"

 

"Whatever, Saunders," Holtzman said. "Since when  
are you afraid of an FBI agent? I thought you said  
she didn't give you any trouble."

 

"She cooperated where it counts, which I bet Mulder  
didn't do," Saunders said. "She's a professional."

 

"I think you're full of shit," Holtzman replied.  
"I think they are and you just don't want to lose  
the bet."

 

"Next time you have to come beat up Mulder, you go  
ahead and ask her," Saunders said. "But make sure  
she doesn't have her gun on her."

 

"You _are_ afraid of her," Holtzman shook his head.  
"You're afraid of that tiny little --"

 

"Shut the hell up, Holtzman."

 

-end-

**Author's Note:**

> Why break into Scully's room looking for Mulder if  
> they haven't already checked his? 
> 
>  
> 
> "Danny," the guy Mulder and Scully both seem to  
> rely on for a myriad of things, never had a last  
> name on the show, but according to the X Files  
> Wiki, Bernstein is likely:
> 
>  
> 
> http://x-files.wikia.com/wiki/Daniel_Bernstein
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
